


Ghost hugs.

by CalyJackson



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Afterlife, Angst, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Not Beta Read, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28021080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalyJackson/pseuds/CalyJackson
Summary: “I cried in a room for 25 years and I didn’t get a hug from either of you.”
Relationships: Alex & Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44





	Ghost hugs.

Alex knew that hotdog was going to hurt when he was pulling pickles from the engine of an Oldsmobile. At worse, he figured he would just throw it up later that evening. But honestly, he would have probably done that anyway- hotdog or not. They were booking the Orpheum! All the work Alex and his friends had put in- the sacrifices they made. Well, it would make anyone nervous. 

He was not prepared for the pain that would accompany that one decision. Alex laid on the asphalt of the alley, curled and clutching his cramped stomach. Beside him, Luke was pale, and Reggie’s lips were turning blue. It was hard to focus on the shape of his bandmates- his brothers- due to the sheer amount of agony he was in. Alex could hear the distant sound of sirens and the hotdog seller speeding out of the lot. Tears were running down his face and the only movement Alex could make was desperate groans. 

The sirens were getting louder. Alex knew he probably should refrain, but all he wanted was to close his eyes. He took one last glance at his brothers, and Reggie had joined Luke in his parlor appearance. With one last shuttering breath, Alex faded out.  
____________  
The next moment, Alex was leaned up against a wall. Daring to open his eyes, he caught a glimpse of Luke and Reggie, sitting on the opposite end of the room. Alex glanced around, taking note of the pitch black, cold, and damp space. 

“Luke… Reggie?” Alex whispered. “Where- where are we?”

There was a pause. For a moment, Alex began to think he was hallucinating. Any minute now, he would wake up, asleep on their couch in the studio and this would have all been some weird nightmare. 

Just when he thought they would not respond, Reggie let out a cough and pulled a lighter out of the pocket of his leather jacket. He flicked it open and let the light illuminate their shared space. Alex noticed the complete lack of doors and windows within the room.

“Not being able to breath sucked.”

Luke let out a laugh. “I second that.”

Alex did not know how to respond. There was nothing funny about this situation. They were dead. They had to be. Alex saw Reggie and Luke take their last breaths… Alex saw them die. This is not a nightmare. This is real. Alex is stuck in this room with no way out and no idea of what brought them there. What do you do when you die? What comes next? 

So, Alex does the one thing he felt was an appropriate response for their position. He brought his knees to his chest, closed his eyes, and cried. He just cried.  
____________  
When the tears had all but dried, there was a tug behind his navel. Risking another glance at his bandmates, he watched as they began to dissolve. The opening notes of Now or Never were echoed through the room. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw his own body disappearing. Taking another shuttering breath and letting the last few tears escape, he leaned into the feeling of melting away. Suddenly it felt like the floor let out from underneath them. For what felt like years, all Alex knew was the absolute terror that comes with plummeting into the unknown. His mental health is never going to recover from this one.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This was not what I sat down to write, but I hope you enjoy it just the same.


End file.
